


Knowing the Basics

by CapricornBookworm



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: ABC Challenge, Angst, Banter, Dating, Draco Malfoy is Bad at Feelings, Draco Malfoy is a Little Shit, Established Relationship, Flirting, Harry Potter is a Good Boyfriend, Idiots in Love, Love Confessions, Love/Hate, M/M, Miscommunication, New Relationship, Office Sex, POV Harry Potter, Shower Sex, Unhealthy Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-17
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2020-09-06 06:10:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20286688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CapricornBookworm/pseuds/CapricornBookworm
Summary: The one where Hermione claims that being in a relationship is as easy as “ABC” once you get the hang of it, but Harry thinks that is complete B.S. and sort of wants to F.U.





	Knowing the Basics

**Author's Note:**

> This is an ABC fic where every paragraph starts with a different letter of the alphabet - in order.

****

“ABC’s, Harry. It’s really not that difficult. Everyone knows the basics instinctively, the rest just take a bit of practice,” Hermione said confidently, giving Harry a reassuring smile as she exited his office. Harry tried and failed to resist rolling his eyes, letting out a sigh and wondering how his life ever got so absurdly _normal_ that he actually had time to be concerned about romance instead of worrying about how soon Voldemort was going to attempt world domination.

*****

“But I thought you liked lilies!” Harry said, feeling baffled as Draco threw a spell over his shoulder, sending the whole bouquet bursting into flames. Harry cast his own _Aguamenti,_ wondering if Hermione knew how to get magical singe marks out of a tablecloth. “Is that your only response to this?” Harry questioned as he watched Draco continue on cooking dinner as though nothing was out of the ordinary. Draco turned around to glare at Harry and flicked his wand once more, setting fire to the entire tablecloth.

****

“Can you at least give me a hint?” Harry questioned as he trailed after Draco through the crowded halls of the Ministry, unsure for the 100th time as to why Draco was so upset. “Was it something I said?” At this, Draco whipped around, glaring at Harry as he stepped into a lift, “Don’t act like such a buffoon, you know what you did,” and with that, Draco swung the lift gate shut, whizzing away before Harry could so much as process what he had said.

****

Dinner had been going well, all things considered. Harry had ordered a bottle of two-hundred year old Firewhiskey and made sure they had a private room where they wouldn’t be disturbed by gushing fans (for Harry), or furious victims of the Death Eater’s terror (for Draco). When Harry reached across the table to refill Draco’s glass, he overshot the distance, knocking the heavy bottle over and watching in horror, as the bottle of Firewhiskey spilled across the pure white table cloth and directly into Draco’s lap. Needless to say, Harry slept on the couch that night.

****

“Every time I try to do something nice, I fuck it up!” Harry complained whilst Hermione shuffled around a stack of papers on her desk, barely glancing up at Harry. “I’m sure you’re overreacting, Harry. It really cannot be that bad - ” Harry interrupted with a groan of frustration, “Oh really?! How about the fact that I spilled an entire bottle of Firewhiskey all over his brand new custom-made suit last night?” An awkward silence followed in which Hermione blushed and Harry wished he could fall through a hole and never return.

****

Flying seemed like a good idea at the time. Quidditch had always been something that Harry and Draco had in common. One of the only things they could actually agree on. So as Harry stood out in the middle of the empty Quidditch pitch, a picnic set out and their brooms ready for flying, he truly thought that this date might just soften Draco. Harry waited with bated breath as a slim figure with blond hair walked across the field toward him.

****

“Give me a break!” Harry whined, watching as Draco landed back on solid ground, grabbed his things, and strode off the Quidditch Pitch without even a glance back at Harry. Things had been going okay, good even, that is until Harry caught the Snitch before Draco. Harry made a mental note that Draco Malfoy is a _very_ sore loser.

****

_How can one person possibly be so difficult to please?_ Harry thought to himself, feeling so utterly done with Draco’s attitude. It had been another day full of misunderstandings and mishaps. Things had gotten so out of hand that Harry actually considered leaving his own damn apartment and crashing on Ron and Hermione’s couch. But then Draco called his name and Harry found himself following the voice on instinct, his brain momentarily closing off the door to the part of his brain labeled ‘One thousand and one reasons why Draco Malfoy is a shit boyfriend.’ When Harry located him, Draco was standing naked in the shower, water cascading across the ridges of his muscles like some fucking Greek God and _fuck_ Harry was not about to say no to shower sex.

****

“I’m pathetic,” Harry muttered himself, drying off from some truly mind-blowing shower sex whilst Draco stormed through the apartment like a goddamn tornado, getting ready for work and acting like an arse once more.

****

Just one more chance. That was all Harry was going to give him. At least, that was what Harry had told himself three weeks ago. _Don’t even start with me_, Harry thought, trying to shut down the part of his brain that was attempting to smack him up the side of the head.

****

“Kill me, Hermione. I deserve it at this point.” Harry let out a groan and leaned down to rest his forehead against the table. Even with his head down, Harry knew that Hermione was rolling her eyes at him. “Harry, honestly, stop acting like this is the end of the world. You’ve fought off Dementors and Dark wizards - you can handle Draco Malfoy. Now sit up and drink your tea, I have a book that I think might help you.”

****

“Love for Dummies?!” Harry looked from Hermione to the book and back again, “I’m not an idiot, I’m just attempting to date Satan!” Hermione simply dunked a biscuit in her tea and raised an eyebrow expectantly at him. Harry narrowed his gaze and shoved the book roughly into his work bag. When he looked back up, Hermione was attempting to hide a smile behind her mug of tea.

****

“Malfoy?” Harry spoke softly, knocking on the door to Draco’s office. Harry heard the lock click and the door swung open just enough to allow him entry. Harry took a deep breath and tried to remember the chapter he had read that morning, _’Don’t allow sexual energy to cloud your judgement. Have a conversation in a neutral space outside of the bedroom. Make sure not to allow sex to be used as a bargaining chip.’_. Harry repeated the advice under his breath before he walked inside, “Malfoy, I - ” Harry began, but something had Harry pausing and his cock instantly filling out in his trousers. Draco was standing in front of his desk, robes pulled open and revealing miles of porcelain skin and a black leather harness stretched across Draco’s chest. When Harry’s gaze dropped to Draco’s leaking prick, every word he had read that morning vanished from his mind. He slammed and locked the door behind him before striding forward and dropping to his knees.

****

“No,” Draco replied matter-of-factly, adjusting his robes and then taking a seat at his desk. “No? Are you fucking kidding me, Malfoy?” Harry asked, baffled by his response. Harry took a steadying breath, “We just had sex in your office and we fucking _live_ together, but we can’t go on a date this evening? That makes no sense.” Draco merely shrugged in reply, not even bothering to look up from his desk.

****

Only Harry would get yelled at for cleaning the house. Draco was walking from room to room, complaining - rather loudly - that he couldn’t find anything and that he didn’t like the smell of the cleaner Harry had used. Normally Harry would have fought back, but it had been a long week of fighting, and fucking, and then more fighting. So, Harry sat down on the couch, grabbed _Love for Dummies_ (which he had charmed to look like a book about the Magical creatures of Scotland) and attempted to tune out Draco’s incessant ranting.

****

“Potter, fuck me - I need - _shit_,” Draco cried out, his arse clenching down around Harry’s fingers where they were curling and twisting inside of him. Harry shushed Draco, pulling out his fingers and moving to lie down beside him. He stroked a hand under Draco’s leg, lifting it up as he guided his cock to Draco’s hole. As he pushed in, Draco’s muscles tensed and a desperate whine poured from his lips. “I’ve got you, I’ve got you,” Harry whispered, pressing a kiss to the arch of Draco’s sweat-slick neck.

****

“Quit it,” Draco grumbled, smacking away Harry’s hand from where it had been carding through his hair. They had been cuddled up on the couch watching a Muggle television program where a group of random strangers got locked in a house together with no access to the outside world. It was a program that Draco insulted relentlessly, claiming that it was a ‘disgusting waste of time.’ And yet, Draco had never missed an episode. Even if Draco got upset about every little thing, Harry simply rolled his eyes and savored that they were at least spending time together.

****

Rarely had Harry ever spent so much time talking about relationships. He and Hermione had met for their bi-weekly tea, and they had barely made it five minutes without talking about the utter failure that was Harry and Draco’s relationship. And now it had been two hours and they were _still_ talking about it. “Have you ever thought that maybe the two of you will always be like this?” Harry sighed, “It can’t be, can it? I mean, it’s got to become normal eventually.” Hermione didn’t look convinced. After they finished their third pot of tea, Harry made to leave, but Hermione stopped him, a hand on his arm, “The pair of you are just about the farthest thing from normal. You're the Chosen One and he was a former Death Eater. Everything about your relationship feels like a mess because, frankly, your lives have been a mess. You are trying to make something normal out of two people that were never normal to begin with.” She sighed, “Just think about it, okay?”

****

“Sorry! I - fuck - It was an accident, I’m so sorry,” Harry said helplessly as he handed Draco an ice pack. He watched as Draco pressed the ice to his nose, the skin red and angry, a hint of purple stirring beneath the surface as a bruise formed. Harry replayed the incident in his head and wondered why the hell these things always happened to him. They had been fucking, Harry drilling into Draco from behind as Draco clutched onto the headboard for purchase. As they both got close, Draco had told Harry to fuck him harder, to use him, to _destory_ him. Unfortunately, Draco’s request had been granted a bit more literally than Harry had meant to. On one particularly hard thrust, Draco’s grip had slipped, causing his face to slam forward against the headboard, breaking his nose in the process. When Harry raised his wand, intending to fix Draco’s broken nose, Draco glared up at him, “Don’t you fucking dare. I don’t trust your clumsy arse not to fuck up my face even more than it already is.”

****

Three days after his most recent conversation with Hermione, Harry finally sat down to think about it. Maybe the pair of them weren’t supposed to be normal. And maybe he could live with that. Maybe.

****

“Up you get,” Harry heard a voice say faintly, the words echoing in his ear as his vision blurred, his body feeling as though it was full of sand. As he allowed himself to be guided, he thought back on the evening, the details fuzzy and just out of reach. They had been to dinner and then the… the club? It was hard to remember. Harry knows there had been bright lights and deafening music, sweaty bodies and arousal coursing through his veins. He vaguely recalls the burn of Firewhiskey down his throat. Another soft whisper woke him from his thoughts and he allowed himself to be maneuvered onto a plush surface, blankets covering him like a cocoon. Just before Harry drifted away into a deep sleep, he felt a kiss on his forehead - the touch more intimate than any sexual act. It wasn’t just a kiss, it was so much more. And with that final thought, Harry sunk into the pillows and fell asleep.

****

Very rarely had Harry and Draco gone a full day without an argument, but on one cool autumn day, the pair of them had managed to make it past supper with nothing but friendly banter and two extremely satisfying rounds of sex. By the evening, Harry was on edge. Something simply felt off. It was so strange not to be fighting over who got to take the first shower, which tea they should brew, and who could cast a better Cleaning Charm. Harry almost felt as though something was missing. As Harry crawled under the covers, reaching over to place his glasses on his bedside table, he heard a crash from down the hall. Seconds later Draco was storming into the room, “You’re a fucking dimwit,” Draco stated simply, no further explanation provided. And even as uncalled for and unexplained as it was, Harry couldn’t help but feel comforted by it.

****

“Why must everything be a fight?!” Harry called out, glaring at Draco from one end of a Tesco aisle. They were fighting over cheese, for fuck’s sake. Fighting over which Camembert to pair with the loaf of bread that they had just spent at least ten minutes arguing about. Even from across the aisle, Harry could see the tension in Draco’s sharp jawline, could see the frustration mirrored in his gaze. Draco huffed and walked angrily over to Harry, his pick of Camembert clutched in his hands. “Because, we’re us! And we are getting this bloody cheese.” Draco chucked the cheese into the cart and whipped around, already heading down the next aisle to look for tomatoes.

****

“Xenophilius Lovegood sent over a box of dirigible plums,” Harry called out as Draco entered the kitchen. Draco rounded the corner with a bored expression on his face, turning his nose up at the box as though it had personally offended him. “Is that supposed to entice me, Potter? Plums are revolting and I want nothing from that old cracker.” Harry raised an eyebrow at Draco’s response. At least he had the decency to look ashamed.

****

“You drive me fucking crazy! You’re a terrible boyfriend. You are picky, unreasonable, and trying to date you is like some sort of torturous never-ending labyrinth.” Harry took a shaking breath, his vision blurring with tears, “You are angry all the time and you don’t seem to like anything I do no matter how hard I try. Just when I think everything is going okay you set something on fire or knock over my paperwork or get mad about something as ridiculous as a box of plums! Nothing I ever do is good enough. But then you’ll come home from work after a hard day and pull me in close while we are sleeping and you’ll kiss my forehead when you think I’m asleep.” Harry ran a hand through his hair, letting out a growl of frustration as he continued, “Sometimes I really hate you. But _fuck,_ even when I hate you, I always love you.” Even through his tears, Harry could see the look of surprise on Draco’s face. Harry wiped away a tear with the edge of his sleeve, “I love you, you absolute arse.”

****

_Zing_, Harry felt a Hex skitter across his skin, a burning sensation trailing from his arm down to his fingertips. A mixture of emotions tore through Harry as he looked up at Draco, watching as he threw his wand down on the couch and strode over to Harry with a fierce determination in his gaze. “Shut the fuck up, Potter,” Draco grit out, and then Draco’s hands were on him, pulling their bodies close as he crashed their lips together in a passionate kiss. Though Draco didn’t say it back - nothing but curse words and pleads falling from his lips over the next hour - Harry could _feel_ it in every touch, every kiss, every breath. He could feel it in the slow way that Draco rode him, his hips moving at an aching pace. He could feel it when Draco swallowed his come, pulling off to mouth gently on the over-sensitive surface of Harry’s cock. Their relationship was never going to be easy. It was never going to make sense. But one thing was certain - as much as they both hated one another, they loved each other far more.

****

**Author's Note:**

> I've been working on this fic for at least a year. It's the story that I always came back to but could never seem to finish. This past year has been hard for me personally, but I'm finally in a really good place. And I finally finished this goddamn fic (yay)!
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this! As always, comments and kudos make me endlessly happy <3


End file.
